1 – The average person is more frightened of public speaking than anything else!
One reason to join a Toastmasters club could be because you have a speech coming up in the future and you simply don’t want to let someone down. The thought of speaking in public, be it at a wedding, for a work presentation, or delivering training can be a terrifying prospect. The best way to tackle this is to practice in a welcoming environment where you can learn, both from training materials and from constructive feedback from others.
2 – You’re making an investment in yourself.
Gaining confidence when speaking is a fantastic way to stand out from the crowd. As a novice speaker, applying some straightforward techniques that you will learn as a Toastmasters member, can quickly show results that pay dividends. No matter how accomplished a speaker you may be, Toastmasters can help you to flourish. The trick here is simply to ‘feel the fear and do it anyway’. Fancy being the World Champion of Public Speaking? Anything is possible! Walking into a Toastmaster’s meeting is the first step on a journey of discovery and self-improvement.
3 – Toastmasters learn together.
A wealth of well-crafted training awaits you as a Toastmasters member. Speaking opportunities range from as little as 15 seconds to, rarely, 15 minutes. This can be whilst delivering a planned speech, delivering ad-hoc content or in a supporting role during the meeting. An experienced Toastmaster will be more than happy to mentor you when you join Worthing Speakers Club. Together, you can work out what you would like to improve upon and put that plan in to action. I firmly believe that everyone should both be a mentor and a mentee, and that such a relationship is a two-way street. We’re always learning…
4 – Leadership development, as an added extra.
Toastmasters is known as a speaking organisation, but did you know that the strapline of Toastmasters is ‘Where Leaders Are Made’? It doesn’t even mention speaking at all! The opportunity to develop leadership skills is available to all Toastmasters members. There are training pathways which focus on leadership skills, each club has an organising committee which helps to run the club for the benefit of the membership and then there are even roles above that, at local, national and international levels. Toastmasters truly is a global organisation.
5 – It’s fun!
I’m having a blast at Worthing Speakers Club. I wouldn’t be Club President if I didn’t enjoy it, right? The atmosphere at the club meeting is welcoming, encouraging and often amusing. A wiser person than I suggested that we learn best when having fun and our club has embraced that wholeheartedly. I’ve grown from someone who would hide when asked to speak into someone who actively seeks out the opportunity. Addressing a room of my peers right after a CTO of a NASDAQ traded company, delivering a eulogy, opening a training course to a packed room, delivering a speech I made up on the spot. I’ve done all these things in the last 4 years since joining Toastmasters. I wonder what could you could achieve?